24 Jul Janel: Harvest Challenges

Chappell, Nebraska – Typically when we are out west cutting wheat the days are filled with plenty of amber waves of grain to harvest and getting a day off is just a wish! Wet conditions have slowed our progress and my only wish lately has been to just be in the field and cutting all of the wheat before it rains “again.”  We’ve experienced a pattern lately of cutting a couple of days and then having few rain days.

It’s usually a rush to get the wheat cut here because South Dakota is next on our route and usually waiting on us to get there. The winter wheat we were going to cut north of Pierre was already harvested by the great white combine, so we have time to stay here and cut more wheat. My brothers, JC and Jared, and Uncle Lonny recently made the move up to Montana. So we were available here at Chappell to finish up their wheat fields that weren’t quite ready to be cut yet while they were here.  We have wheat to cut in northeast Colorado and also near Sidney, Nebraska.  We will hopefully finish soon and get loaded up and then make our way to South Dakota to cut spring wheat.  I can’t wait to get there!  I love the Dakotas!

The wheat I’ve cut recently made 35 to 56 bushels per acre. The test weights have been 57 to 61 lbs and the protein 11%.  One field I cut near Sidney had wheat stem sawfly damage in the wheat.  It causes widespread lodging and complicates harvest.  We had to cut the wheat very close to the ground to try to get it all.

Our run out here has been out of the ordinary. We always harvest the wheat in northeast Colorado first and then make our way out to western Nebraska.  It’s been a challenge due to the weather.  Between drought conditions and the great white combine this harvest has been difficult along the wheat belt of America.  We are feeling fortunate for the acres and good wheat that we have gotten to harvest this season.

Beautiful scenery in this western Nebraska wheat field.  Photo by Janel Schemper.

Cutting the outside round of the field.  Photo by Janel Schemper.

Schemper Harvesting cutting wheat in western Nebraska.  Photo by Janel Schemper.

Opening up a new field and cutting out room for the trucks to park in the field.  Photo by Janel Schemper.

The fields are nice to cut in western Nebraska.  Photo by Janel Schemper.

We had good wheat to cut.  Photo by Janel Schemper.

Sunset.  Photo by Janel Schemper.

Unloading wheat on the truck.  Photo by Janel Schemper.

Beautiful view from the top of a hill.  The dryland corn looks good in the distance.  Photo by Janel Schemper.

Miss Moo.  Photo by Janel Schemper.

She loves pickup rides too!  Photo by Janel Schemper.

Schemper Harvesting cutting wheat in western Nebraska.  Photo by Janel Schemper.

Is it going to rain or just mess up my windows?  Photo by Janel Schemper.

We got a sprinkle and a double rainbow.  Photo by Janel Schemper.

Pretty rainbow while we were trying to finish the field.  Photo by Janel Schemper.

Dark clouds and another race against the rain.  Photo by Janel Schemper.

A double rainbow mirror shot.  Photo by Janel Schemper.

My combine shadow.  Photo by Janel Schemper.

Another race against the rain.  Photo by Janel Schemper.

All Aboard Wheat Harvest is sponsored by High Plains Journal and John Deere.  Janel Schemper can be reached at janel@allaboardharvest.com.